American company Digital Realty invests €230 million in a new Data Center in Barcelona

Digital Realty, a major American data-infrastructure company, is building a new data center in Sant Adrià de Besòs (Barcelona), a project representing an investment of €230 million. The facility is expected to begin delivering services in 2026, after completion of its technical phases and operational tests.

A site visit to the construction works was recently held, attended by Filo Cañete, Mayor of Sant Adrià de Besòs, together with members of the city council, and Robert Assink, Managing Director of Digital Realty in Spain, who provided updates on the project’s progress and timeline.

Strategic implications for Barcelona and Catalonia

This investment reinforces the growing trend of Barcelona as a leading hub for interconnection and digital services in the Mediterranean. The new centre is part of the Besòs innovation corridor and complements other significant projects, such as the proposed Catalunya Media City, at the Tres Xemeneies site, designed to strengthen the region’s digital ecosystem further.

Local authorities emphasised that the data centre will help boost the digital economy, enhance connectivity, attract talent, and encourage further investment, all of which are seen as essential for sustainable economic growth in Sant Adrià and the wider metropolitan area.

Data centre activity in Barcelona

Barcelona is consolidating its momentum in the data center sector. A report published last year, "Barcelona: Digital Port of the Mediterranean (.PDF document)" by Digital Realty, DE-CIX, and Foundry, with the support of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, projected that data centers in the city could generate €7 billion by 2025, highlighting Barcelona’s role as a digital hub connecting Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

More recently, AQ Compute started the construction of a new data center in Barcelona, while Equinix opened a new €52 million data center in the city.

Together with Digital Realty’s latest investment, these projects confirm the growing role of Barcelona as a Mediterranean hub for interconnection and digital services.

Source: Diari de Sant Adrià